5 pets rescued from an accidental fire in Mobile

Two new ladder trucks were on display outside Government Plaza on Feb. 19, 2013. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com)

MOBILE, Alabama -- Five family pets were rescued by
firefighters battling an accidental blaze at a mobile home early this morning.

Firefighters arrived at a trailer park at 940 Dawes Road
around 9 a.m. this morning. When official arrived, they were greeted with heavy
smoke and fire coming from the home, according to Steve Huffman, public
information officer for the Mobile Fire-Rescue Department.

One person inside the home was able to escape unharmed, but
told firefighters on the scene that she had a number of pets trapped inside the
home.

"Firefighters encountered heavy fire inside but managed
to rescue two dogs, a Poodle and Chihuahua, as well as one King snake and two Albino
Pythons," Huffman said in a new release. "A fourth snake did not make
it out."

The dogs were given oxygen by firemedics and taken by the
owner to a veterinarian after the rescue.

Investigators with MFRD determined the fire started in the
mobile home's kitchen. The woman on scene told officials she had placed a pan
of grease on the stove to heat for cooking, then left it unattended as she did
other things around the house.

"[She] forgot about the grease heating on the
stove," Huffman said. "When she returned she discovered the fire in
the kitchen."

The fire has been ruled an accident and caused an estimated
$15,000 worth of damage.